Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2014GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.7× usual
Few complaints for any year of this model, so the data can't tell this year apart much. 5 serious complaints of 6, the most about brakes (3) and steering (1); per car on the road, 0.7× this model's usual year. 6 recalls.
6 owner complaints · 6 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 13–15 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated
2013GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual
15 serious complaints of 19, the most about power train (7) and engine (6); per car on the road, 1.0× this model's usual year. 5 recalls.
What owners report
“Transmission failure at 110,000 miles, known issue that was covered under ford technical service bulletin tsb 13-4-23, for my other ford e150 2012 econoline van vin# [], the same transmission failure on both vehicles one was covered the 2013 is not, but same failure mode. I would like ford to replace the known faulty transmission.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the power train, Dec 2019
“While driving on highway at 55 mph car looses power, goes into limp home mode, orange wrench warning indicator appears on dash panel. Very dangerous in high traffic areas where there is room or time to pull to side of road. Pull off road, turned off engine, and then restarted and ran fine. Seems to happen unexpectedly every 3 to 4 months.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the engine, Feb 2018
19 owner complaints · 5 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 13–15 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated
2012GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.8× usual
10 serious complaints of 12, the most about power train (3) and structure (2); per car on the road, 0.8× this model's usual year. 7 recalls.
What owners report
“Was driving vehicle felt jerking and heard grinding noise. Pulled off highway into parking lot. Check could not find anything wrong. Tried to back up vehicle jerk very badlywouldnotback-up. Vehiclewoulddriveforward. Tr”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the power train, Jun 2020
12 owner complaints · 7 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 13–15 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated
2011GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.1× usual
20 serious complaints of 23, the most about power train (5) and steering (5); per car on the road, 1.1× this model's usual year. 12 recalls.
What owners report
“At any speed it will shift into 1st gear without warning. Speedometer will fluctuate between 0-65mph. Rear wheels lock up, and you will loose control of vehicle. A couple hours ago, on the freeway it shirted to 1st gear, locked up the rear end, and the car behind me crashed into center divider trying to avoid me.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the power train, Feb 2017
“The contact owns a 2011 ford e-150. While driving at any speed, the vehicle made a very loud noise and decreased in speed while turning. The steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rack and pinion electronic assist failed.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Jun 2016
23 owner complaints · 12 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 13–15 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 225 hp 5.4L 8-cyl, 255 hp | RWD | 13–15 mpg | Not rated | 6 | 6 | Service brakes (3) | — |
| 2013 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 225 hp 5.4L 8-cyl, 255 hp | RWD | 13–15 mpg | Not rated | 5 | 19 | Power train (7) | — |
| 2012 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 225 hp 5.4L 8-cyl, 255 hp | RWD | 13–15 mpg | Not rated | 7 | 12 | Power train (3) | — |
| 2011 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 225 hp 5.4L 8-cyl, 255 hp | RWD | 13–15 mpg | Not rated | 12 | 23 | Power train (5) | — |
| 2010 | — | — | — | Not rated | 9 | 10 | Tires (4) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Trim-by-trim features for Ford aren't in our data yet: so far we have them for BMW, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, and more brands are on the way.
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Ford E-150 WAGON RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 8 | 6 |
| 2014 | Ford E-150 Passenger VAN RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 8 | 6 |
| 2013 | Ford E-150 Passenger VAN RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 6 | 19 |
| 2013 | Ford E-150 Wagon WAGON RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 6 | 19 |
| 2012 | Ford E-150 WAGON RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 8 | 12 |
| 2012 | Ford E-150 Passenger VAN RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 8 | 12 |
| 2011 | Ford E-150 Passenger VAN RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 13 | 23 |
| 2011 | Ford E-150 Wagon VAN RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 13 | 23 |
| 2010 | Ford E-150 Passenger Wagon | Not Rated | No | No | 9 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | E150 Van FFV | Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.6 L Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 5.4 L |
14–15 |
| 2014 | E150 Wagon FFV | Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.6 L Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 5.4 L |
13–14 |
| 2013 | E150 Van FFV | Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.6 L Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 5.4 L |
14–15 |
| 2013 | E150 Wagon FFV | Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.6 L Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 5.4 L |
13–14 |
| 2012 | E150 Van FFV | Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.6 L Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 5.4 L |
14–15 |
| 2012 | E150 Wagon FFV | Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.6 L Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 5.4 L |
13–14 |
| 2011 | E150 Van FFV | Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.6 L Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 5.4 L |
14–15 |
| 2011 | E150 Wagon FFV | Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.6 L Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 5.4 L |
13–14 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.